Brothers
by Charlene Edwards
Summary: The BatBoys take a vacation ... and find a mystery when things don't go as planned.
1. Default Chapter

Title: Brothers Author: Charlene Edwards Rating: PG-13 Disclaimer: DC owns the Bat family -- why I don't know but they do. I'm playing with them anyway. :-) Synopsis: The Batboys go on Vacation -- we all know that's NEVER good :-) Thanks to Brooke for beta reading for me. I hope you all enjoy. Char :-)  
  
BROTHERS:  
  
He grabbed the ringing phone by his bed. "Hello."  
  
"Hey Bro," the cheerful voice on the other end said.  
  
"Dick! Hey! What's up?" the teenager began happily.  
  
"Alfred told me you had a week off from school. Got any plans?"  
  
"Other than HIS training simulations, no."  
  
"Well how about a ski trip?" Dick asked with a laugh.  
  
"A ski trip! I'd love to. Do you think he'll --"  
  
"I'll talk to him. Batman can do without Robin for a week. Let me give the old man a call. I'll talk to you later. Bye Bro."  
  
"Bye Dick," the younger boy replied with a wide grin as he hung up the phone. He moved to his closet and pulled out his suitcase. If Dick was determined, he knew he'd be going.  
  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
Dick drove his cherry red jeep in front of Wayne Manor and jumped out. Quickly he ran up the familiar stairs and moved through the large entryway doors into the foyer of the Manor. "Yo! I'm home! Anyone care?"  
  
"Dick!" Jason yelled as he ran down the stairs and into his brother's wide open arms. "You're early. For once."  
  
Dick laughed and tussled the younger boy's hair. As he looked around, he saw Alfred coming from the kitchen and ... "Tim? Timmy, I didn't know you were here," he said as he ran over and lifted the eleven year old into the air.  
  
Tim laughed and almost dropped his bowl of pudding in the floor. Alfred deftly snatched it from his hand and sat it on the counter as he watched the three he considered "his boys". Tim was still laughing when he answered Dick's question, "I was just spending some time here with Jay. I want to go on the trip too."  
  
Dick and Jason's eyes met. They shared a wicked sparkle. "How about next time?" Dick asked. "Or have you decided that girls aren't gross yet?"  
  
"Girls! Eww, who wants to go on a trip looking for girls?" Tim asked as his young face grimaced.  
  
"Hormonal teenagers," Bruce replied as he walked into the entryway from the study.  
  
The smile fell from Dick's face. He sat Tim on the floor, ruffling the child's hair, and turned. "Hello Bruce," he said without emotion.  
  
Bruce's jaw flinched. He was ... happy ... to see Dick. He always was. He wasn't happy to see Dick's mood. The distance between them ... hurt. Yet, he couldn't change the past. If Richard didn't want to accept Bruce's decisions, that was his choice. Nothing had changed except Dick's perception of things. "Dick."  
  
Dick stared at Bruce for an awkward moment before turning and hugging Alfred. "It's good to see you."  
  
The elderly man hugged him back tightly, "As it is to see you Young Sir. It is good to have you home. You have been missed ... by us all."  
  
Turning back to Bruce, Dick tentatively moved closer. "Thanks ... for letting Jay go on this trip."  
  
Bruce looked at his oldest standing in front of him. "It will be good for the two of you." With trepidation, Bruce reached out and placed his hand on Dick's shoulder. He and Dick had enjoyed a good conversation -- a healing conversation -- at Donna Troy's wedding. Dick had been calling Jason more and the two boys were beginning to grow close. Bruce hoped that their relationship could be mended as well. Hoped that Dick would understand.  
  
Dick smiled as Bruce placed his hand on his shoulder. Seeing the bowl of pudding that Alfred had rescued from Tim earlier, he asked, "Is there any more of that?"  
  
Bruce shook his head as a half-smile formed on his face. Some things would never change.  
  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
Four hours after leaving Wayne Manor, Dick pulled the jeep in front of the Holly Glen Resort. As the two got out of the jeep, Dick headed in to the check-in desk, as Jason looked around the beautiful Vermont landscape. The were definitely NOT in Gotham City anymore, and that was so cool! Not that Jason didn't love Gotham City and spending time with Bruce, but this was different. This was something he had wanted since he first moved in -- not the ski trip -- the relationship. Jay smiled. He had a brother.  
  
When he had first moved into the Manor, he hadn't been sure of his place. Bruce gave him the Robin costume but Jason knew it wasn't really his. It belonged to someone else -- Dick Grayson -- someone who wasn't there anymore. Jason had wondered about that mystery for a while, before Alfred enlightened him. When he first met Dick he had felt awkward ... like a replacement ... but he wanted to feel differently. He had wanted to belong.  
  
Then he got a call from Donna Troy -- she needed the Titans -- she needed Robin to save Dick Grayson. Jason jumped at the chance. He left to save the man he desperately wanted to be his brother. He did too, well he helped, but what he found out was he didn't have to WANT Dick to be his brother -- Dick WAS his brother. He even told him how to keep Bruce from getting TOO upset about his little disappearing act.  
  
Since then, they had grown closer. Dick had even come home for Christmas, although he knew Alfred played a large part in that. Dick and Bruce were growing close again too. He could see it. Bruce said they had "talked" at Donna's wedding. Things weren't perfect, but he could hope that soon they might be. Well, at least as perfect as their lives could be.  
  
His life seemed pretty perfect right now. He and Dick on vacation, chilling out, having fun and making memories. No Bat stuff, no Arkham escapees, just two brothers having fun. Dick's hand slapping him on the back brought him out of his musings. "Are we checked in?"  
  
"Uh huh. Let's unload the jeep."  
  
"Do we need a baggage cart?" Jason asked as he pulled his camera out of his jacket pocket and started taking pictures of the ski slopes. Knowing them, was there any surprise that they had chosen to ski at a place called the Suicide Six Slopes.  
  
"No, we can get it," Dick said as he tossed a duffel bag at Jay. Noticing the camera in his hand, Dick got an idea. He dropped his bag back in the jeep and turned around, grabbing the camera from the boy's hand. Stepping up on the curb he asked the parking valet if he could take a photograph of them with the mountains behind them. Throwing his arm around his brother's shoulder they smiled as the valet took their picture. "Thanks," Dick said as he took the camera back and grabbed his bag out of the jeep. "Let's hit the room."  
  
"Then the slopes," Jason added as he ran in the resort. Dick tossed the jeep keys to the parking valet and followed his brother inside. _______________________________________________________________________  
  
Dick pointed to a table near the door as they entered the resort's all ages club. "If we were old enough we could get a wrist band for alcohol. But we're not old enough."  
  
Jay smiled at his older brother, "Why'd you feel the need to inform me of that?"  
  
"I remember one time when Bruce reminded me," he called above the noise of the blaring music. The club's lights were dim, vibrant colors of strobing lights bounced from the walls. People of all ages mingled through the area. They walked past the video arcade games and closer to the dance floor in their search for a table.  
  
"Bro, this is so cool," Jason said excitedly. "Bruce never let's me go to places like this!"  
  
Dick chuckled, "Yeah I know. He corners the market on overprotective."  
  
"And stifling, suffocating, overbearing, anal -- "  
  
Dick slapped Jason hard on the shoulder. "I know already. There's a table," he said as he pointed to a table near the bar. Moving over they took their seats. A young brunette came over and waited on them. As they waited for their food and drinks, they used their keen observation to intently 'people watch' the crowd. Dick also watched the younger boy's smile as he did so. "Having fun?"  
  
"Yeah. If I haven't told you, thanks."  
  
"For what?" Dick asked confused.  
  
"For the trip. For bringing me with you. For wanting me with you."  
  
"Hey, there's no one else I'd rather have here. I know how lonely that big old manor can be. The cave's even lonelier. I know I haven't been around a lot ... not as much as I wanted, but I'm going to change that. We're brothers Jason and it's time I started acting like that."  
  
The younger boy smiled a wide grin across the table. "Cool! You can tell me all about how you screwed up so I can learn from your mistakes. And you can run interference for me with the old guy."  
  
"The best thing to learn about the old guy is to keep Alfred on your good side. He handles Bruce better than anyone."  
  
"I thought he was the ONLY one who could really 'handle' Bruce." Jay said smartly as the pretty waitress placed their food before them. He winked at her as Dick laughed. "What? I told you I'm looking for a babe."  
  
"Why don't you look for one more your own age?" Dick asked as he grabbed a french fry and surveyed the room again. His eyes fell upon a group of teens near the dance floor. "Like them."  
  
Jason looked in the direction Dick had pointed. His eye fell on the pretty young blond in the center of the group. "Yeah, she's more like it."  
  
A wicked smile formed across Dick Grayson's handsome face as a raven's black lock of hair fell over his forehead. Leaning across the table, he asked, "Well, what're you gonna do about it?"  
  
Jason turned to face him. The look on his face was like a deer caught in a car's headlight. "What? What!"  
  
Standing, Dick moved to the younger boy and pulled him from his chair. Playfully, he pushed the young man in the direction of the group of teens. "Go on, ask her to dance." He laughed as he watched Jay make his way across the room. Several times he turned back and looked at Dick only to get the 'go on' wave of Dick's hand. Dick watched as Jason started talking to the group. It only took a few minutes before Jason and the pretty young blond were on the dance floor. A smug smile formed on Dick's face as he sipped on his Zesti, quite proud of himself.  
  
Jason and the girl, whom Dick soon discovered was named Amy Miller, continued to enjoy themselves in the club. Occasionally, they'd sit with Dick, when he wasn't availing himself on the dance floor. It was nice, it was fun, it was normal. For two young men who rarely did normal, they were liking it a lot.  
  
Amy was laughing at Jason's jokes as they sat around the table. Dick shook his head, "And people say I make bad jokes." Jason squinted at him and threw a cold french fry in his direction.  
  
A lot of people had filtered out of the club, but it was still quite crowded. Dick noticed the clock behind the bar read quarter to one. "Yo bro, I think we need to head back. What about you Amy?"  
  
The young girl looked around. None of her friends seemed to still be in the club. "I guess I'd better go back to my room. It's later than I realized."  
  
Nervously, Amy continued to look around, "I ... I guess so. Looks like everyone left me here."  
  
Dick smiled, "That's ok, we'll walk with you. I don't know why your friends didn't join us."  
  
She smiled sweetly at them. "Okay." The three young people rose from their seats and headed toward the door. Amy stopped for a moment, staring off to her left. Shaking her head, she continued walking, catching up to Jason and Dick. "So, what are your plans for tomorrow?"  
  
Jason smiled at her, "Skiing and snow boarding. You want to go with us?" he asked hopefully.  
  
"Well, I know my group's suppose to go skiing tomorrow on the South Slopes. I guess we could ski together, if you're there."  
  
"I'll be there," Jason said with a wide grin. Then he looked at Dick, "Won't we?"  
  
Laughing Dick nodded his head as he closed his jacket around him. "Yes, I guess we can." The cold outside air hit them bitterly as they exited the building. Dick rubbed his hands together and blew on them. He watched his breath covering his hands. He chided himself silently for forgetting his gloves.  
  
Quickly, they began to traverse the near empty parking lot on their way back to the resort. When they were about half-way in the lot, Amy stopped. "I ... I need to go back."  
  
Jason and Dick looked at each other and then to her. "Why?" Jason asked.  
  
"I ... I left something. You go on, I'll be okay."  
  
Dick's eyes narrowed as he looked down at the teen. "That's okay, we'll go back with you. We don't mind."  
  
She shook her head vigorously, "No, that's okay. You guys go on. I'll see you tomorrow." Amy was backing away as she spoke. Then she turned and ran back toward the club.  
  
"But -- " Jason started as they watched her heading back.  
  
Dick placed his hand on Jay's arm. "Let her go bro," he said as he turned Jason back around. "It's cold and she obviously wants to go back without us."  
  
"Huh?" Jason asked as he looked up at Dick. "I thought she liked me."  
  
Dick smiled as he placed his arm around the younger boy's shoulder. "Oh she does. She does."  
  
"Then I don't understand -- "  
  
"You never will baby bro, you never will. Let me explain that to you in the room."  
  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
Jason sat on the foot of his bed, TV remote in hand, watching cartoons on the room's large TV. His attention kept going to Dick who was wandering between the room and the bathroom. "You take more time getting ready to take a shower than a girl."  
  
Dick stopped before entering the bathroom and glared at his younger brother. "That only goes to show you've never lived with a girl."  
  
"ROOM SERVICE!" Jason yelled as he jumped off the bed at the sound of the knock and headed toward the door. "Dibs! And I hope it's the same girl who brought us lunch yesterday," he said crossing the room to open the door.  
  
Opening the bathroom door a crack, Dick said "Well don't forget to leave her a tip!"  
  
"Duh! I got a tip and a number for her."  
  
Dick laughed as he threw one of the small hand towels over his shoulder and shut the door again.  
  
"I was just- oh, can I help you?" Jason asked when he noticed the three men standing at the door. They all seemed to be a bit older than Bruce. He noticed that two of them wore suits and looked like ... cops, while the other wore more casual clothes. He also seemed more agitated than the men in the suits.  
  
The man in front pulled a badge out of his pocket and showed it to Jason. "I'm Detective Jordon. This is Detective Lester and Mr. Miller. May we come in? We have some questions for you."  
  
Jason sighed. He was right, they were cops. Why were they here?  
  
Dick heard the detective and stepped out of the bathroom, towel still in hand. "Can I help you?"  
  
The detective looked past Jason to Dick. "May we come in?"  
  
Jason looked from the men at the door to Dick and back again. "Uhmm. Yeah ... sure. Dick?"  
  
Dick nodded. "Yeah, what's this about?"  
  
The three men entered the room. Dick couldn't help but notice the way the two detectives were carefully scanning the room. Detective Jordan held a photograph up. "Have either of you seen this girl?"  
  
Jason's mouth dropped. "That's Amy."  
  
To be continued ...  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE:  
  
Dick, Jason and Tim ALL at the Manor you might ask? I'd recommend reading what's been dubbed the "Wittle Timmy verse" with stories by me, Patty and Rea. Which beginn with Rea's "Simba Roared" about Bruce and a 5 year old Timmy at Halloween. A slight change from established canon, but we like it. Char ;-) 


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks go out to Brooke and Patty for beta reading this part for me. I hope you all enjoy. Char :-)  
  
BROTHERS Part 2:  
  
The detective looked past Jason to Dick. "May we come in?"  
  
Jason looked from the men at the door to Dick and back again. "Uhmm. Yeah ... sure. Dick?"  
  
Dick nodded. "Yeah, what's this about?"  
  
The three men entered the room. Dick couldn't help but notice the way the two detectives were carefully scanning the room. Detective Jordan held a photograph up. "Have either of you seen this girl?"  
  
Jason's mouth dropped. "That's Amy."  
  
Detective Jordan focused on Jason, "You know Amy Miller?"  
  
"Yeah, we met her. Last night at the club. Why you askin'?" Jason replied as he looked up at the Detective.  
  
The detective pointed to Mr. Miller. "This is her father. Amy didn't go back to her room last night. We were hoping you might have some answers."  
  
Detective Lester moved further into the room as he looked around. "She wouldn't happen to be here, would she?"  
  
Dick's eyes narrowed as he looked at him. "No. She's not. We saw her in the club. Talked to her, danced a bit. That was about it."  
  
Jason moved back to the bed. He picked up the remote control and turned off the TV. "She ... she didn't come back to the hotel? She was going skiing today."  
  
Detective Jordan moved closer to the younger boy. "No she didn't. Some people at the club described you two as leaving with her. Did you?"  
  
"Yeah, we walked out with her -- " Jason answered, somewhat dazed.  
  
Dick turned to face Amy's father. He could easily read the man's worry and fear that washed across his face. "I'm sorry, sir. She left with us. We had been talking, having fun, dancing. We were going to walk her back to her room ... but ... she decided once we were in the parking lot that she wanted to go back in. So we just came back to the room." "We ... we should've gone back in with her," Jason said quietly as he looked down at the beige carpet in the room. His stomach was in knots. He felt like he was going to be sick. Where could she be?  
  
Dick continued, "Mr. Miller, do you have any idea why she wouldn't have gone back to her room? She told us she was going to."  
  
The older man shook his head. His voice cracked slightly as he spoke. "No. She doesn't know anyone here. We just came for vacation, with her school group, and they were all in their rooms. But you saw her. She had to say something ... anything." The man's eyes plead with Dick to give him some news.  
  
Dick sighed. He couldn't give the man the news he wanted. Slowly he just shook his head.  
  
The worried father pressed on. "Are you sure you didn't see her or she didn't come back here?"  
  
"Yes sir. The last time we saw Amy was in the parking lot of the club. I'm sorry, I wish we knew something more to tell you."  
  
"She's a good girl. Please, please tell me where she is ... she's only sixteen."  
  
Dick turned from the man. He looked at Jason. Their eyes met. He knew they shared the same thought. IF only they had walked her back in. "Mr. Miller, I ... we ... know she's a good girl. We don't know where she is."  
  
Jason shook his head, "We left her in the parking lot. I wish I could tell you more. I dunno either. Maybe ... maybe she just got busy and forgot to call or," realizing how lame that sounded, his voice died out, "something." He looked back down at the carpet. It was easier than the pain in Amy's father's eyes.  
  
Detective Lester grabbed his radio as he heard a call coming in. He walked out of the hotel room into the hall, partially shutting the door behind him. Anxiously, Dick watched him, before Mr. Miller grabbed his attention again.  
  
"Did she talk to somebody? Did you see somebody with her? Maybe more friends of yours?" the man asked as he grabbed Dick's arm. "Please. Anything."  
  
Dick shook his head. "We only got in yesterday. We're on vacation too and don't know anyone here. We met her in the club. She was talking with some other people when we got there. She told us they were friends, in the group she's here with. I don't know who she talked to once she went back in to the club."  
  
"She NEVER got back in! You're the LAST ones to see her that we can find!"  
  
Dick and Jason's eyes met. Amy never went back in the club? Dick was the one to find his voice, "I ... I don't know."  
  
Mr. Miller continued. "Look, just let me know where she is and that'll be the end of it. I won't be mad. I won't say anything to her. Just let me know that she's okay.....PLEASE!"  
  
Dick ran his hand through his hair as a dozen scenarios ran through his mind. "Mr. Miller, I'm sorry. Really I am. I don't know where she is. We don't know where she is. We'd tell you if we could."  
  
Jason looked up at the worried father, "We wanna help, but we don't know anything." He looked down at his hands and then back up at Mr. Miller and the officers. "Is there something else we could do, maybe ... maybe help search or something?"  
  
Comfortingly, Dick placed his hand on Jason's shoulder. "Yeah, we'll get dressed and help."  
  
Detective Jordan watched the two young men. "Did you see anyone else in the parking lot?"  
  
"Nah," Jay said. Why hadn't they insisted on going back with her?  
  
"Are you sure? You saw no cars pull out? No one walking? Nothing?" the detective pressed.  
  
Detective Lester entered the room again. Dick studied the look on his face. Biting his bottom lip, he looked back at Detective Jordan. "No sir, I didn't see anyone. We just walked back here to our room."  
  
"Yeah, it was late and we wanted to hit the slopes early tomorrow ... I mean today." Jason said with a shrug of his shoulders.  
  
Dick was still studying Detective Lester's face. He didn't like the look, he'd seen it before. "Is something wrong sir?"  
  
Jordan turned toward his partner. He read the man's face. Jordan's jaw flinched. Jason looked up at Detective Lester as well, just in time to see Lester shaking his head at his partner. Jason had also seen that look before. His face paled as he dropped to the edge of the bed.  
  
Detective Lester broke the uncomfortable silence. "Mr. Miller, could I speak to you outside?"  
  
"What?" Mr. Miller asked in a panicked voice.  
  
"I think it would be best if we spoke outside," Detective Lester began.  
  
"What is it? Did you find her? Is ... is she okay? Just tell me, is she okay???"  
  
Moving over to the bed, Dick sat beside of Jason. He placed his hand on the younger boy's arm as they heard Detective Lester speak. "Mr. Miller, your daughter was found."  
  
"Please ... please tell me she's okay ... Please," the man pled with them.  
  
"I'm sorry sir," Lester replied softly. "She's dead."  
  
Miller cried, "NOOOO! You're wrong. She's got to be okay ... she's ... she's my little girl."  
  
Jason looked down at the floor trying to study the pattern on the carpet. Anything to keep from concentrating on the man's cries. Dick noticed Jason was breathing heavily, so he placed his arm around his brother's shoulder. He watched Detective Lester trying to move Mr. Miller out of the room. Then he turned to watch Detective Jordan cross the room, pick up the phone and dial a number. Dick was pretty sure he was calling his dispatcher for details. He turned his attention back to Jason and gave the boy a squeeze. "You okay?" he whispered.  
  
Jay shrugged. "It's all our fault."  
  
Jordan turned toward the two boys as he waited to be patched through to the officers on the scene. "Yes, this is Jordan ... you found her where? -- Yes ... I see ... and ... " he stared at the two young men sitting on the bed. "She was ... I see ... yes, I have a few ideas."  
  
Miller broke away from Detective Jacobs and whirled around to face the two teens. "You HAVE to know something. You should have done something to help, You HAVE to help now. You ... What did you two do? What did you do to her?" he accused.  
  
Dick looked up at Mr. Miller. "Do?" he asked confused. "We didn't do anything."  
  
Jay scuffed his foot on the floor at that statement. No they didn't do anything. They walked away and let her die. They could've stopped it if they had just stayed with her. But they couldn't even DO that.  
  
Mr. Miller continued his accusations. "You did. You had to. People saw her with you and then no one saw her again. You did something to her. Why? Did she say no! Is that it? That's what happened isn't it? She said no, but the two of you wouldn't take that for an answer. So you hurt her. You killed her!!"  
  
Jason's head jerked up. His eyes darted from Mr. Miller to Dick to the Detectives. "You're accusing us? We didn't! We just talked to her!" Dick stood up straight making direct eye contact with the distraught father. In a calm voice he stated, "Mr. Miller, I'm sorry about Amy, about your loss. My brother and I are very sorry. But we didn't do anything."  
  
Detective Lester took Mr. Miller by the arm leading him from the room. Detective Jordan hung up the phone and walked back around to the front of the room. Opening his notepad, he glanced down. "Mr. Grayson, do you remember anything else from last night?"  
  
Shaking his head, Dick replied, "No."  
  
The detective looked at Jason. "You. Mr.," he hesitated as he looked back at his notepad, "Todd? You remember anything?"  
  
"No. I told you everything. I don't know anything else. I wish I did. I ... I wish we had stayed, we should've stayed ... we ... oh God, if we stayed she'd be alive." He rested his elbows on his knees and dropped his head in his hands as they heard Mr. Miller's cries coming from the hall.  
  
Dick had started pacing around the room, his guilt was weighing at him. Jason was right. If they had only stayed with her. He ran his hand through his hair and sighed.  
  
Detective Jacobs walked closer to Dick as he continued his questioning. "Mr. Grayson -- you and Mr. Todd are brothers? Care to explain since you have different last names?"  
  
Dick nodded. "Yes. We ... we have the same adoptive father," Dick replied. Well, so Bruce wasn't TECHNICALLY his father. He'd raised him since he was eight years old. He was his father in every way that mattered -- except legally. Dick sighed again.  
  
Jordan wrote in his notepad as he dryly stated, "I see." As he glanced back up at the two young men, an idea germinated in his mind. "Have either of you showered since last night?"  
  
"Huh?" Jason asked as he looked up. "Uh ... no. Not yet."  
  
"Why?" Dick asked in a low voice as his eyes narrowed on the detective.  
  
Jordan's eyes met Dick's. "You said you and your brother want to help out. I believe I know something you two could do."  
  
"What?" Jason asked as he stood up from the bed.  
  
"Voluntarily come to the station with me -- answer some questions, let us collect some samples -- "  
  
"Samples?" Dick asked as he felt his stomach drop. "What kind of samples?" Jordan looked at Dick. "Just some routine samples -- hair, fiber, seman."  
  
Jason's face went ashen. Amy wasn't just killed. No, that hadn't been good enough for her killers. Jason felt a rage build deep within him as he turned away from his brother and the detective. Quickly, he moved toward the back wall -- his fist crashing into it. Detective Jordan watched him as Dick moved to place his hand on Jason's arm, stopping him from punching the wall again.  
  
The detective continued, "Of course, if the two of you don't want to cooperate with us ... well, that would seem suspicious. I suppose I would have to take you into the station for suspicion of murder. We can hold you ninety-six hours without charging you. That'd be enough time to get a warrant and collect the same samples."  
  
Dick's ice blue eyes glared at the detective. There was a fire behind that ice. "We never said we wouldn't cooperate," he hissed. "You haven't been listening to us when we said we didn't do anything. We don't have anything to hide."  
  
"So, that means you'll come voluntarily?"  
  
Jason shook his head. How dense was this guy? They were so looking in the wrong place. Bruce said that if a murder wasn't solved in the first fourty- eight hours it usually was never solved. This guy was going to blow this case focusing on them. That was too wrong. He sighed loudly as he turned from the wall and started toward the middle of the room. Going to the dresser, he pulled out a pair of jeans and a sweater. Looking at the detective he asked, "Do you mind? Or do you plan on watching us dress?"  
  
"Just making sure we don't lose any evidence," Jordan replied.  
  
Dick glared at the man before slipping a sweater over his bare chest. At least he had his jeans on before they came. Dick managed to keep himself between Jason and Jordan's line of sight. He watched his younger brother. Yes, this was his brother -- not in blood, but in soul. They were Bat. That made all the difference. They would endure what they had too and then they would get to the bottom of this. "Ready?" he asked Jason softly as he placed his hand on the boys arm.  
  
"Yeah, let's just go get this crap over with," Jason growled out as he turned around and stormed toward the door, grabbing his jacket on his way out the door. He looked back at the detective. "You comin' or what?"  
  
Dick grabbed his jacket at the door and made a swooping 'after-you' motion with his arm at the detective. His eyes met Jason's, telling the younger boy to hold it together. His temper, while justified, wouldn't help them in this situation. Following the detective in to the hall, he closed the door behind him. They'd go -- for now. _______________________________________________________________________  
  
The door to their room swung open, hitting the wall as Jason stormed in followed by Dick. "Don't leave. Don't LEAVE! I can't believe they told us that. Why do those guys always assume the worst?"  
  
"Because usually the worst is right," Dick added as he shut the door.  
  
"Yeah, well, they are really wrong this time. Geez, I knew it was going to be bad, but man I had no idea they were gonna," Jason dropped his jacket on the bed as he headed toward the bathroom. "I need a shower. Now!" he almost shouted as he slammed the bathroom door.  
  
Dick sighed as he took his jacket off and threw it beside Jason's. The phone started ringing. Dick stared at the phone a moment debating answering it, yet the ringing didn't stop. Moving around the bed he picked the receiver off of the base. "Hello?"  
  
"What's going on Dick?" the familiar deep voice demanded.  
  
"We're on vacation. What do you think is going on?" Dick shot back sarcastically.  
  
"You and Jason have been fingerprinted. The police have pulled your records. It's obvious you have allowed this 'vacation' to get out of control. Now tell me what's going on there."  
  
Dick sighed as he flopped down on the bed. "Cops just needed us to give them all the samples they need for rape kit since we seem to be the ONLY suspects in a murder/rape investigation. I don't see what you think's so out of control about that."  
  
"Don't get flippant with me. You're both suspects?"  
  
"Yes, we're BOTH suspects."  
  
Bruce sighed as Dick could hear the rustling of papers. "I can be there in ... four hours. Don't say ANYTHING else to the police until I get there."  
  
Dick rolled his eyes. "Look, we can handle this. We do NOT need you running up here to take charge of everything. We've got it covered."  
  
"Covered? You're being investigated for rape and murder. I do not consider that having it covered. Besides, my son is not ready for something like this."  
  
"Your son?" Dick asked as he felt his chest tighten. It hurt, hurt a lot. He felt like he had been suckered punched. Bruce was worried about his son ... and that wasn't him. It wasn't him and it should be him. Dick felt his anger rising to cover his hurt. "Jason and I are both ready for this. We've trained for this. You trained us. You should have a little more confidence in us than you do. But you've never had any confidence in me, have you Bruce?" Dick spat. "Dick, I didn't say that. I ... Slow down. What happened to the girl? And the police think what exactly?" Bruce asked trying to change the subject. He knew he had misspoken as soon as he called Jason his son. They were both his sons. Didn't Dick know that? Does he have to have a piece of paper to prove what they've known for years? Why couldn't he bring himself to explain it to the boy? Dick was so important to him ... so much his son. His first, his eldest, Dick was irreplaceable. He should know that, he shouldn't have to be told.  
  
Dick sighed as he tried to control his rampaging emotions. The day had been hard enough already, he didn't need this added pressure. He had to pull himself together. He was a professional. He could deal with Bruce and Bruce's rejection. He just couldn't deal with Batman coming here, taking over and dismissing him again because he wasn't good enough to do the job. He was Nightwing, leader of the Titans, and he WAS good enough to solve this case. So why did his voice crack just a bit when he started explaining this to Bruce? "It's just that ... well ... last night we were at a club and we met this girl and we kinda left with her."  
  
"And?"  
  
"And we didn't exactly leave with her because she went back in and ... well except that she didn't go back in. We just didn't know she didn't go back in. We came back to our room because we didn't think anything was going on and ... she uh ... she was murdered ... and raped," Dick sighed again as he finished.  
  
"So as far as the police know, you and Jason were the last people to see this girl alive?"  
  
"Yes," Dick said as he ran his hand through his thick black hair. "Her father was here in our room when he found out she was dead. God that was so hard. Then he ... he accused us."  
  
"Are you alright?" Bruce asked, concern in his voice.  
  
Dick nodded then remembered his silent answer couldn't be heard over the telephone. "Yeah, yeah I'm ok. Jay's ok too. It's just ... the detective threatened to take us in and hold us for ninety-six hours if we didn't voluntarily cooperate with them and give them the samples they wanted. We did. We didn't have anything to hide, it's just ... it was so ... "  
  
"I'll clear the schedule and be there in four hours," Bruce replied. "Do not speak to the police again until I arrive."  
  
"No!" Dick almost shouted as he stood up from where he had sat on the bed. "I can handle this. We can handle this. It's a simple murder case ... no Joker or Two-Face or anything like that. We don't need you to come down here and bail us out of this. We don't need you running to the rescue. We can handle this!"  
  
"Dick, this isn't a confidence building exercise. This is about handling this situation. A situation that has already spiraled out of control. They have taken DNA samples from you and Jason."  
  
"Look, I know that. We didn't have a choice. It was either agree or be locked up for ninety-six hours while they decided on whether to charge us with something we didn't do."  
  
"You should have called me. Immediately. I would have retained an attorney there to be with you and to instruct you." Dick dropped back down on the bed. "We don't need lawyers. We need time and freedom to solve this case. We NEED to solve this case Bruce. Don't you understand? If we had went with her back into the club ... if we hadn't left her ... "  
  
"Son," Bruce started tentatively, "this is not your fault. You and Jason are not to blame. You don't need to feel guilty about this. You can't save the world, you can't be everywhere. I know ... I've tried."  
  
"Bruce," Dick started with a plea in his voice as Jason opened the door and stepped from the bathroom towel drying his hair. Dick's eyes met his. Jason's eyes were wide with terror at hearing who Dick was speaking with.  
  
"Very well, you can handle this. I will check back in. If you don't make progress, I'll expect it to be turned over to me within seventy-two hours."  
  
Dick smiled at Jason as he gave him the "okay" signal with his other hand. His smile widened as he watched Jay's theatrics of mock fainting on the bed. "Yes sir. Deal."  
  
"Good," Bruce said. There was a long pause as he struggled for the words he wanted to say. Finally, he settled on, " I ... I ... Let me know if you need anything."  
  
"I will. We will. I promise," Dick said softly.  
  
Bruce looked at the photographs on his desk. Photographs of Dick and Jason and of last Christmas when they were all together, even Timmy. He studied the three boys in that photograph a moment before he spoke again. "I," he cleared his throat, "I know I have two sons ... I didn't ... I'm worried about both of you. Well, I'd better go and let you get busy."  
  
Dick smiled slightly as he began, "I know ... I'm ... Bruce?" He turned to Jason. "He hung up on me," Dick said with exasperation as he held the phone out to his side. Sighing he hung the phone back on the receiver.  
  
Jason sat up on the bed as drops of water fell from his still wet hair. "That's a good thing. So, how dead are we?" "He's giving us seventy-two hours to solve this case and not get arrested."  
  
"Typical. I give us forty-eight and one very long soak in a hot tub."  
  
Dick grinned at Jay and his resiliency. "Yep. I guess we're not going skiing today."  
  
"Hurtling down a mountain on two thin slabs of wood is very over rated."  
  
Dick chuckled. "Yeah. Hmm, I wonder?" Dick rose and walked to a window to look out at the mountainous terrain and the falling snow. Why didn't vacations in this family ever go as planned? "What?" Jay asked as he finished toweling off and started changing into some fresh clothes.  
  
Dick rubbed his chin as he considered the situation."Maybe ... maybe this isn't a job for Nightwing and Robin. Having a Titan and a Gotham vigilante show at this ski resort when we're visiting may not be a good idea." He turned back to Jason who stopped midpull on his shirt.  
  
"No ... especially when we're probably one of the few Gothamites in the area."  
  
Dick nodded and smiled. "Exactly. We're gonna have to do this on our own."  
  
"Sounds like a plan to me." ________________________________________________________________________  
  
Dick and Jason walked into the resort's dining room and looked around for an empty table. Spying a table near a wall of windows, they started walking toward it. They couldn't help but notice the stares they were receiving as they walked to the table. Sitting down, the two teens looked around the room. The room had suddenly gotten very quiet and all eyes seemed to be on them.  
  
Dick turned toward the wall, grabbed the menus and handed one across the table to Jason. "Here. Pick out what you want?"  
  
"Uh ... Dick?" Jason said as he watched the people staring at them start whispering and pointing at them.  
  
"Yeah?" Dick replied as he continued looking through the menu.  
  
"I think people are staring at us."  
  
"I know they are. Just ... just ignore it."  
  
"I'm tryin' but ... it's really getting on my last nerve," Jason stated as he started drumming his fingers on the table.  
  
"Yeah I know, but there's nothing we can do about it," Dick added as he looked up at the waitress who was sitting two glasses of water. They quickly gave her their orders. Dick watched her walk away as he leaned over on the table toward Jason. "We've got to find out more about what the cops know."  
  
Jason slid down in his chair as he turned away from the staring eyes towards his brother. "Yeah we do. Any ideas how? I don't figure Detective Lester's going to share the evidence he plans to convict us with."  
  
Dick chuckled at that despite the circumstances. "Don't worry about his plans, worry about how we're going to find the murderer before Bruce comes into town."  
  
Jay smiled briefly before his eyes caught those of a middle-aged couple staring at him. "I wish these people would mind their own business."  
  
"Don't worry about it," Dick said. He reached out for the waitress, pulling his hand back quickly as she jumped from his touch like she had been burned. "Uh ... sorry ... I just wanted to know if you could tell me how much longer before our food comes out?" he asked self-consciously.  
  
The waitress, a young girl in her early twenties, looked at Dick through wide eyes. "Uhm ... it'll be out in a minute, the ... the kitchen's backed up." The girl hurried off away from their table.  
  
Dick shrugged his shoulders. "She seemed a little nervous didn't she?"  
  
"Ya' think," Jason responded sarcastically. "What'cha wanna bet she didn't put our order in?"  
  
Sighing, Dick looked around the restaurant at the people staring at and whispering about them. "What is it with everyone in here?"  
  
"They're gossipy busybodies," Jason countered.  
  
"-- shouldn't be allowed ... decent people ..."  
  
Hearing the loud whispering coming from the table behind him, Jason looked up at Dick. Dick was shaking his head, but Jason didn't heed his subtle advice and turned around staring back at the family. Leaning his chair back near the woman who sat at the table, he said, "You know if you take a picture it'll last longer."  
  
Dick burst out laughing. "You're helping our bad boy image there bro." Jay leaned back to the table and rested his elbows defiantly on the white table cloth. "I hate people starin'. It makes me feel like I'm in a zoo." He saw their waitress come from the direction of the kitchen with food on a tray. His rumbling stomach was going to be happy. It was ... until he watched the waitress take the food past his table serving it to people who had come into the restaurant after he and Dick had. "Obviously there's a sign, 'don't feed the suspects'."  
  
A small growl escaped Dick's lips before he spoke. "The sooner she gives us our food the sooner we'll actually leave. They need to think about that."  
  
Jay sighed. "How 'bout we just eat in our room?"  
  
"No. I'm not going to let them make me act guilty."  
  
"So you'd rather act like a bug under a glass?"  
  
"No, I'd rather enjoy our vacation, but I don't see that happening anytime soon," Dick retorted as he picked up his fork and started tapping it on the table.  
  
"No," Jason said lowly as he started playing with the table salt. "I don't think it will. Amy certainly didn't get to."  
  
The small young waitress hurried over to their table. Dropping their plates off, she left the table quickly without a word.  
  
Jason rolled his eyes as he stuffed a French Fry in his mouth. "Finally. She's certainly working hard on her tip."  
  
"What tip?" Dick asked seemingly absentmindedly as he slapped the bottom of the ketchup bottle.  
  
"That's what I mean. Can you leave a negative tip?"  
  
Dick had just started eating his hamburger when he looked up toward the door. His deep blue eyes went wide. "Maybe we ought to take our burgers and go to our room like you said."  
  
"Why?" Jason asked as he turned to look at door. Seeing Mr. Miller standing in the doorway he responded. "Uh-oh. Maybe he won't see us.  
  
"Maybe he hasn't seen us," Dick began as he took another quick bite of his cheeseburger. "Let's just eat up so we can go." As he took another bite of his food he realized that the whispering had stopped and that the room had become VERY silent.  
  
Jason turned behind him and then ducked his head. "I think he's seen us. You don't think he'll cause a scene do you? Here?"  
  
Staring across the table at the younger teen, Dick replied. "Oh let's see, the people he thinks killed his daughter are sitting and calmly eating in a restaurant. Nah ... I think he'll cause a BIG scene." Dick reached in his pocket and pulled out a twenty dollar bill. Dropping it on the table, Dick said, "Oh what the hell, we'll give her a tip. Ready to go?"  
  
Jason took a huge gulp of his cheeseburger as he nodded his head vigorously. "Sooo ready. Let's get the hell outta dodge."  
  
Before they could stand up, Mr. Miller had marched over to their table. In a very loud and angry voice he started shouting at them. "How dare you? How can you calmly sit in here and eat after what you did? She was my little girl and you killed her! Why? Did she say no? Is that why the two of you raped her and beat her to death? Did she plead with you? Did she ask to please let her go?"  
  
Dick watched Jason as Mr. Miller was shouting at them. The boy was obviously upset. His face was flushed as he turned toward the window and away from the angry father. Taking a deep breath, Dick calmly looked up at the red-faced man and spoke. "Mr. Miller, we're very sorry about your loss. We did not hurt Amy. My brother and I feel for you and your family. But we didn't do anything. Now we're just getting ready to leave so ... "  
  
Jason grabbed the arms of his chair and started to rise when the distraught father pushed him back down. "NO!" the man yelled.  
  
Dick saw the anger flash through Jason's eyes, but Dick shook his head slightly to keep the boy from retaliating. It was already ugly enough, they couldn't let it get worse.  
  
Mr. Miller was full of righteous anger and pain, and before the inquiring eyes of the restaurant patrons, he was taking it out on the two people he felt was responsible. "You two little bastards killed my baby ... you can't just walk around. The police may not want to do anything about you, but I know what you are. You two think that you've gotten away with this scott free ... but I know the truth. You're NOT going to get away with killing Amy! I'm not going to let you!"  
  
Shaking his head, Dick started with a sigh. "Sir, we didn't ..."  
  
Miller leaned forward, thrusting his finger into Dick's chest as he accented his words. "I think you were the one that started." Turning his thumb toward Jason he continued. "I think he's a punk that followed your lead," he added with a poke. "I think that she said no, and you drug her off into the bushes with his help," he continued poking Dick in the chest with each sentence. "I think that you think you've gotten away with it."  
  
Dick grabbed Mr. Miller's hand before he could poke him again. Standing up he looked squarely in the man's face, his blue eyes narrowing. "We haven't gotten away with anything. We didn't do anything and I'm getting a little tired of everyone thinking we did. Now we understand your grief and we even understand what you're thinking. But you're wrong!"  
  
Miller snatched his hand away from Dick's. "I'm here to tell you, you haven't gotten away with it. I'll see to it that you won't. You did it and you know you did. The police even believe it, Detective Lester told me so. Called me when you two were at the police station. Why the hell they didn't throw the two of you into a cell where you belong is beyond me!"  
  
"What happened to innocent until proven guilty?" Jason asked as he stood up. This scene was getting too far out of hand. "There's no proof we did anything, because we didn't DO anything!"  
  
Miller whirled towards Jason. "I have all the prove I need. Amy's friends saw you with her. The police took you in. You did it! You killed her!" he yelled as he pushed Jason back down in his chair.  
  
"That's enough," Dick growled as he moved in between his brother and the grief-stricken father. "Come on Jay, let's go."  
  
Jason stood up and tugged on his sweater. "Okay, I am SO ready to go." His eyes met Mr. Miller's. "We didn't do anything and I DO feel for you."  
  
A Resort Manager ran over to their table. "What's going on here?"  
  
Dick took Jason by the arm, pulling the boy behind him as he started to move away from the table. Looking at the manager, he replied, "Nothing, we're just trying to leave."  
  
Miller turned toward the manager and stated loudly. "You shouldn't serve murderers in your dining room."  
  
"Are you two causing trouble?" the manager said as he glared at Dick and Jason.  
  
"We were eating and HE came over here!" Jason said indignantly.  
  
"They killed my daughter! They should be in prison and not sitting with decent people!"  
  
The resort manager tried to calm the angry man. "Mr. Miller, I apologize for this." Turning to Dick and Jason he said sternly. "We will not allow you two to cause anymore trouble while you're here. Perhaps it would be best if you ate in your room from now on or off the premises."  
  
"What a crock of ... " Jason started. "That's it ... for the finally time. We. Did. Not. Do. IT." He sounded very much like his adoptive father as he spat out his words.  
  
Dick also felt his anger boiling over. "Look, we haven't done anything. The police HAVEN'T arrested us. We aren't charged with anything. We aren't causing any trouble. We haven't caused any trouble. My brother and I aren't going to be forced to act like we did. By EITHER of you or anyone else. Now if you'll excuse us, we'll be leaving." Dick placed one hand on Jason's shoulder and gently pushed him in the direction of the resort's lobby.  
  
Jason was only too happy to head in that direction and quickened his pace. "I hate friggin' resorts."  
  
Miller yelled after them as the manager was trying to calm him. "You can't go anywhere. I'm gonna be watching you! You will not hurt anyone else's child!"  
  
Sighing, Dick replied, "At the moment, Jay, so do I." He jabbed the elevator button and said a silent prayer as the door opened immediately to an empty car.  
  
As the elevator doors closed behind them leaving them in blissful silence and solitude, Jason let out an audible sigh as he placed his hands on his knees and leaned over taking deep breaths. "That was ... grueling. God, I hated that!"  
  
Dick placed a comforting hand on Jason's back as the younger boy straightened back up. Running his free hand through his thick black hair, Dick started. "We can't investigate this case as Dick and Jason. Too many people are going to be looking at us. We're too high profile now."  
  
Jason looked at Dick, confusion on his face. "But you said earlier that we couldn't do this in the suits. If we can't investigate, then who's gonna solve this case? Bruce? We're not going to call Bruce in are we?"  
  
"No, we're not," Dick said. Then added, "Youse just wait and youse'll find out kid. I gots a plan," he added with a wink.  
  
To be continued ... 


	3. Chapter 3

Well, here's the LONG awaited chapter 3. Honestly, I had NO idea that it had been as long between updates as it had until Qoshea told me lol. I promise I will try to do better with the next part. Thanks to Patty for the beta work. I hope you all enjoy. Char :-)

BROTHERS: Part 3

"I hate surveillance." 

Dick chuckled, "So do I bro, but it has to be done." He turned his attention from the dance floor in the lodge's nightclub to the teen who sat beside him at the small table in the darkened corner. He smiled at how Jason had so easily slipped into 'Tommy Malone'. Red bandana tied gang style around his head, black leather jacket with another red bandana tied around the left arm, frayed and holey jeans. Jay knew how to put the street kid look together. Of course, that wasn't so hard since he had actually been one. Dick silently thanked Bruce for keeping that life from him and now, for taking Jay out of it. 

"It's still boring as hell. I wanna be beating someone up. Preferably the jerks who killed Amy, although it wouldn't hurt my feeling to substitute the idiot cops."

Dick looked over his sunglasses at Jay before he laughed. "Now come on, you remember how easy it was for us to lose them at the mall. It wouldn't be fair."

"No, but it'd be fun," Jay replied with a lopsided grin. Then Jason went all business as he sat straighter in his chair. "Isn't that dude over by the bar that Kevin guy, the one that was supposed to be Amy's boyfriend?"

Dick turned his attention to the bar and the sandy haired teen that was leaning against it watching the dancing crowd. "Yeah, that's him." Dick recognized the teen as Kevin Fahey from his photograph in Detective Lester's office. After they had lost the good detective at the mall, they had managed to break into his office at the local police station and read through the detective's file, or at least what little of his file was actually in his office. For all the detective's talk that Dick and Jay were his "prime suspects" he had also looked at Kevin Fahey. Kevin claimed he and Amy were dating, which was news to Dick and Jay because Amy hadn't mentioned having a boyfriend. She certainly wasn't acting like it. 

"What're we sitting around here for then?" Jay asked, anxious to do something, anything. 

"We don't want to go jumping to any conclusions Bro. We need to have a clear head to solve this case. You don't want to act like the cops have. Do you?"

"Come on Dick, you know as well as I do that if we didn't kill Amy chances are really good this guy did. You saw the photographs," Jason growled. 

Dick had seen the photographs. His mind tried to treat the gory images as just a case, but sitting here in this place where Amy had been so vibrant and alive only twenty-four hours earlier, made his stomach churn. 

Jason continued, "Whoever killed her knew her. Random murders aren't that brutal. The killer wanted to make her pay for ... something." Jason's voice trailed off with that last. Was that something him? Was Amy killed because she talked with him, danced with him? Was this his fault?

Dick watched Jason's face. He could read the guilt the boy was feeling. He knew it, because he shared it. They weren't going to wallow in that guilt though, they were going to use it constructively ... find her killers and make them pay. "Come on Bro, lets get the show on the road," Dick said as he stood up.

"What're you doing?"

"I think we want a drink ... at the bar."

Jay smiled as he hopped up. "I'm on it Bro." 

They swaggered to bar and it was 'Robbie Malone' who leaned against the counter. "Gimme a beer."

The bartender stopped what he was doing and looked at the young man. He certainly looked like a 'tough' but he didn't look near twenty-one. "Is that a root beer?"

"What'dya think," Robbie replied with attitude. 

"I think it is unless you want those very large bouncers to throw you and the short one out."

"I ain't short!" Tommy protested as he leaned back against the bar, his elbows resting on the counter. "Gimme a Zesti."

Robbie glared at the bartender and finally relented, "Make it two." He watched the bartender turn and start to fix their drinks. "Sucks that a guy can't get a beer around here."

Kevin turned and looked at him, "You talking to me?"

Robbie shrugged. "Nah, I'm just complaining out loud. Just wanted a beer ya'know."

"Me too," Kevin answered. "I really could use a beer right about now."

The bartender sat the two Zesti's down and walked off to the other end of the bar. Robbie took the drink and scowled before sipping it. "Just in general wanted a beer or sumthin' wrong?"

Kevin just shook his head. "Just ... life in general."

"Not as much action here as I thought," Tommy added. "Guess that girl getting wasted put everyone on edge."

"Wasted?" Kevin stuttered a bit as he asked the question.

"Wasted, off'd, dead. Stops a party I guess."

"What do you know about Amy's death?" Kevin asked.

Tommy quirked his eyebrows, "Nothing other than what we heard on the news. Guess that's why we tried this place. See what kinda action there is."

"Nothing interesting happens here," Kevin said as he sipped his drink and eyed the dance floor. 

Robbie snorted, "We've noticed." His eyes narrowed as he noticed the ring on Kevin's finger as Kevin lifted his glass to his lips. A signet ring engraved with an Edwardian script "K" caught Dick's attention. His mind thought back to the photographs of Amy's bruised and battered body. A ring like that could've made some of the marks on her face. He took a big swallow of his Zesti.

"Kevin," a new voice called. "I've been looking for you man." A taller young man walked over, his arm going around Kevin's shoulder. "What's wrong with you Kev? This isn't like you to be in a bar." 

"Where the hell else should I be Parker?" Kevin asked with a snarl. 

"I know it hurts, it would hurt me. You just need to grieve. Let me help, that's what friends are for," Parker said sympathetically as he led Kevin toward the door.

Jason watched them as they headed toward the door. "We should follow them."

"Agreed," Dick said as he dropped money on the bar to pay for their drinks. He watched them grab their coats and head out the door before they headed after them. They watched the two boys head for the resort on the other side of the parking lot. Shoving their hands in their pockets, Dick and Jason started to follow them when a voice stopped them dead in their tracks.

"You look a lot different than you did earlier today at the station. Different than you did when you were loudly protesting your innocence. Is this what Amy saw last night?" Detective Lester asked.

"Get outta our way," Jason growled as he tried to keep an eye on Kevin. 

"Why? Have to meet someone?" Jordon asked moving closer to Jason, blocking his view. "Another teenage girl?"

"What we're doing is none of your business. Thought you would've gotten enough of that when we lost you at the mall," Dick added taking Jason's arm and moving around the detectives. "Now if you don't mind, we'll be leaving. Stop following us."

"And if we do mind ... what are you going to do about it?" Lester inquired.

"I'll be glad to let you discuss it with our 'dad'," Dick replied as he and Jason moved out toward the resort with the detectives following them. 

"Dammit," Jason growled under his breath. "How are we gonna detect anything with dumb and dumber tagging along?"

Dick shook his head as they entered the resort. He stopped looking at the laundry cart by the door. With a feral grin on his face, he grabbed the broom and deftly shoved it between the door handles. Giving a mock salute to the two local detectives he and Jason ran off to disappear around the corner. "It'll take them a while to get in another way and find us."

Jason stopped, "Why don't we check out Kevin's rooms?"

"You don't know his room number."

"So. I can find that out. Go to the internet cafe, hack into the hotel's systems, simple."

"You can't hack into a system."

"Yeah I can. Barb's been teaching me."

"Barbara Gordon?" Dick looked at Jason incredulously. "I thought she quit our little 'club'."

Jason shrugged his shoulders. "For the most part. But she's good on computers so Bruce asked her to tutor me. He got a little ... frustrated ... trying to teach me himself. He's a lot more patient teaching me how to throw someone through a wall."

"Tell me about it. Ok, let's go."

* * *

"I'm coming up dry and empty. How about you?" Jason asked as he shoved the dresser drawer shut. He pulled Kevin's suitcase from the room's small closet and tossed it on the bed. 

"Nothing," Dick called from the bathroom. "Nothing that helps anyway."

Jason opened the suitcase and rifled through the few articles of clothing still in the bag. "Found an envelope."

Dick peeked out the bathroom door, "What's in it?" Jason opened it and pulled out two photographs. One of Amy and one of Kevin and Amy. Jason sat on the bed with the photo of Amy in his hand. Dick watched him and moved out sitting beside him. "Are you okay?"

"No." Jason looked up at the ceiling then turned to Dick. "Do you think he killed her because of ... me?"

"Jay, we don't know that Kevin killed her. But even if he did, you're not the reason she's dead bro."

"That doesn't make me feel better."

"You're not going to feel better. Finding her killer and bringing him to justice'll be satisfying, but it still won't make you feel better," Dick replied as he took the envelope out of his hand. "What else is in here?" He pulled a note out. Unfolding it, he read the few handwritten lines. "She broke up with him. Amy broke up with Kevin yesterday."

"So he gets mad and he kills her. Sonova--"

"It's a motive. Not necessarily the motive, but it is a start. Let's keep looking." Dick patted Jay on the shoulder and stood up moving to the TV cabinet. "Did you check in here?"

"Not yet," Jay replied moving beside him. 

"WHAT THE HELL? WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY ROOM!" Dick and Jason turned to see Kevin Fahey and his friend Parker entering the room. "It's those two guys from the bar," Kevin said to Parker. 

"I'm calling the cops," Parker said as he moved toward the phone. 

"Youse don't wanna do that," Jason said in his best Malone accent as he grabbed Parker by the wrist. 

"Yeah, I do," Parker replied as he pushed Jason. Jason glared, his hold on Parker's wrist never wavered. "What are you going to do to stop me?"

"Youse don't wanna know," Jason growled.

Dick swaggered over to Kevin. "This your room. Man, we didn't know that. Youse cool," 'Robbie Malone' smiled. "We wouldn't steal nuthin' from youse. Not that we've found anything worth taking." Dick shrugged. "Youse forget 'bout us bein' here, we'll leave. No harm, no foul. What'cha say?"

"I say you need to be in jail," Kevin stepped out into the hall and started to shout when Dick grabbed him and pulled him back into the room. 

"That ain't nice," Dick said as his fingers attacked a pressure point of nerves near Kevin's shoulder causing the young man to wince in pain and go off balance. He pulled Kevin's right hand behind his back before he pushed Kevin toward Parker. Jason smiled shoving Parker with the flat of his hand. Kevin and Parker tangled with each other as the force of the collision sent them spiraling to the floor. Dick and Jason used the moment to take off out of the room. By the time that the room's occupants made their way to the door, the Malone's were nowhere in sight. 

* * *

"What do we know?"

"Not a whole helluvalot."

"Come on Jay, we know more than it seems. From the police reports and photographs we know how Amy was killed. That's a start."

Jason rolled over on his stomach as he lay atop his bed. "Sure we do. We know she was killed by two sadistic bastards. Her jeans and panties pulled around her knees, we both know why. Beaten, battered, bloody and bruised."

Dick nodded as he paced their room. "She was hit before she went down. Was bleeding before they raped her."

Jason sat up. "That's right. The bloody smudge on her thigh -- like a handprint trying to pull her legs apart. So they were beating her first. But with more than just fists. That scar on her face could've been made by Kevin's ring."

"Agreed. But I think there's more than that we should focus on. I'd say whatever she was hit with causing the blunt trauma to her head is not the same thing she was stabbed with. This wasn't a planned murder. It happened in the heat of an argument. Remember that thin line we saw in the snow at the crime scene?"

"Yeah. The killers drug the weapon off with them. There was blood in that line." Jason stood up from his bed and moved to his closet pulling out his ski pole and flexing it in his hand. "I don't know, this is pretty flexible. I'm not sure that it's strong enough to cause the trauma to the head, but the spike at the end could've caused the stab wounds. But what could've caused the blunt trauma?"

Dick walked around the bed and sat at the table by the window. "I don't know. Anything, a broken tree branch, a flashlight. If it was a ski pole used to kill Amy, we need to find it. We find it, we find our killers."

"And we still have a little less than forty-eight hours to do it before Bruce takes over."

In his best imitation of Alfred's proper English tone, Dick placed a hand over his heart and said, "Oh heaven forbid dear boy." Then turning serious, he grabbed his jacket. "Come on, time for a little old fashioned leg work. Let's go back to the club."

"I hope that's better than Kevin's room. We got nothing outta breaking in there except caught." 

"Not necessarily," Dick said with a sly grin as he held up Kevin's ring. He tossed it to Jason. "There's blood on it. Wanna lay money as to whose blood it is?

"Dick, you'd make a great thief," Jay said with a smile. 

"It's in the blood."

* * *

"Sandy hair cut short, blue eyes, sixteen or seventeen, in here the night of the murder?" The burly bouncer repeated back to them. "Yeah I saw at least twenty in here that night and every night who fit that description. What's your interest?"

Dick shrugged his shoulders, "Just trying to figure out who had opportunity to kill the girl."

"Why?" the bouncer asked. 

"Youse know, in case there's a reward," Jason added in his best Malone accent. "We're always interested in anything to make money. So, anyone in particular from that same group the dead girl was with?"

"There was that one kid. He was a real ass. Had his poles with him and was planning to go skiing that night. I told him it was dangerous and he told me to go "F" with myself. He'd come in with that Amy girl, the one who was murdered, and he left right after she did. I told the police about him."

Jason nodded, "That's a good lead."

"Well, if it was a lead, I'm sure the cops would've done something by now. It's probably those other two." He squints as he looks them over. "You two look a lot like those other two."

Dick shook his head, "Nah, we seen them at the cop shop when we wuz gettin' outta jail. They don't look like us. Thanks for the info man," Dick said as he passed the bouncer a twenty as they headed out the door.

* * *

The morning sun shone through the window causing dappling colors to dance across the floor. Jason munched on a crunchy slice of bacon from the breakfast tray they had ordered from room service. "Are we going to follow Kevin today?"

Dick looked up from the morning newspaper, "I think so. Although I'd really like to see if he drove a car here. If he did, I'd like a look inside. His ski poles have to be somewhere since they weren't in his room. I know in my gut that if we can find the poles the bouncer saw him with, we'll find our murder weapon."

"I can hack back into the hotel computer and see if I can find any car registration info for him." Jason gulped the rest of his orange juice and stood crossing the room and pulling out a sweater and a clean pair of jeans. He slipped into the jeans and looked around for his belt. He saw a black leather belt lying on the dresser and crossed the room. Picking it up, he looked over at Dick. "Hey, is this yours?"

Dick looked up, "No."

Jason scrunched his face up. "Well, it ain't mine. Who's --"

There was a pounding on their door. "This is Detective Jordan. I have a search warrant! Open up!" 

TO BE CONTINUED . . .


End file.
